India is one of the South Asian countries with the second largest population in the world. Geographically, it is the seventh largest country. It is the largest democracy in the world. It is bordered by several countries and the Himalayan range of mountain acts as a barrier to these countries. Militarily, it has often faced problems from these neighbors and tries its best to maintain cordial relations with them. Which are the countries that border India?

Countries that Border India

China – This is a powerful nation and is led by a communist regime. It is situated on the Northern part of the Himalayas and has the largest population in the world. The political philosophy adhered to by the Chinese is much different from that of India, which is a democracy. India has been at war with China and has border disputes. Diplomatic ties between China and India are often strained due to various geo-political reasons. China is definitely a threat to the peace prevailing in India.

Pakistan – This is in the northern – western region of the Himalayas and has been always at loggerheads with India over border disputes. It has been mostly led by military dictatorship, which does not gel with the liberal democratic philosophy of the Indian Government. Earlier, Pakistan was part of India but after the independence of India, Pakistan was formed as a separate Muslim nation. Pakistan has also been at war with India.

Bangladesh – This is in the eastern region of India and was part of Bengal at one time. It consists mostly of Muslim population. People speak Bengali and culturally they are closer to West Bengal in India. It became a separate state after a prolonged war.

Tibet – This is an autonomous region in China. The Chinese government is accused of persecuting the local people. Tibet is in much political controversy. Many Tibetans have settled in India as refugees. The Tibetan government in exile is being led by Dalai Lama, who considers Tibet to be a sovereign country occupied by the Chinese military. Dalai Lama wants Tibet to be an autonomous region. He is not seeking full independence for it.

Nepal – It is north of the Himalayan range. It has been a monarchy throughout history, although now the Maoists have been asserting. A civil war between the monarchist forces and the communists led to the abdication of the then ruling King, Gyanendra. It is now a federal democratic republic since 2008. India maintains cordial relations with it.

Burma – The region is also known as Myanmar region as it is run by a military-led government. Historically, it has been in the forefront in the political arena.

Bhutan – It is bordered East and West by India. It is separated from Nepal by the Indian state of Sikkim. It was one of the isolated nations in the world, but now much development is on. It is known for its landscape. Buddhism is the predominant religion, although Hinduism is the second largest religion. Its first democratic elections were held in 2008.

Sri Lanka – This located south of India. Historically, Sri Lanka and India had many dealings with each other. It is centre of Buddhist religion. It is a strategically links south East Asia with the West. It is multi-religious and multi-ethnic country. The government is a mixture of parliamentary and presidential systems.

India tries its best to maintain peace in the region by maintaining friendship with its neighbors. Of course, at times disputes do arise making it difficult for it to settle the issue through diplomatic ties. The peace within the country is often threatened by its neighbors.